You Don't Bring Me Flowers
by Velmaneuwirth
Summary: Lilith is feeling Neglected. This is set in the later seasons of Cheers, just b4 Lilith's affair. (Constuctive reveiws welcome, as I have poseted every chapter, please reveiw the whole story. No flames please.)
1. Default Chapter

Authors Notes:  
This fic is set just before Lilith's affair, when their relationship wasn't going so well. I've had this idea for a long time, and now I've finally motivated myself to write.   
Of course I do not own any of the characters, apart from Philip. Nor do I own, or did I write the song 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'.   
  
(This fic works best if you happen to have a copy of 'You don't Bring Me Flaowers', and play it as you read chapter 4.)  
P.S. This only has 6 short chapters, so it's not as well written as an epic.   
Hope you like it.   
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
As I stormed through the front door of our townhouse, closely followed by my husband, I slammed my purse down on the table.   
  
"Lilith!" Frasier followed breathlessly, closing the door the door behind him. "Lilith, honey. Listen, it was just a meaningless joke."  
  
"There's no such thing as a meaningless joke, Frasier."  
  
"So you keep telling me." He muttered under his breath.  
  
I shot him a scornful glance. He made me so mad sometimes. "How could you do that to me Frasier?"  
  
"Do what to you?"  
  
"Ridicule me in front of everyone like that!" We had just arrived home from Cheers, where I was regularly the butt of people's jokes. I could handle the odd comment from Carla, of course it hurt, but I was used to it after 7 years. I'd learned to form a shell and ignore it.  
  
"Darling, you know what the guys are like." He said as he attempted to put his arm around me.  
  
I pulled away. "Yes but this time it wasn't the guys was it? It was you."  
  
He hung his head. "I'm sorry Lilith."  
  
I sat down on the couch, as he slumped into the armchair. "You may be. But I've heard it all before Frasier."  
  
There was a long silence. Usually when this happened--as it has so many times recently--I would excuse myself to go and check on Frederick. But we had sent Frederick to my mother's so that we could have the weekend to ourselves. Somehow I didn't think that was going to happen. I wasn't in any mood to forgive Frasier right now. So to avoid the growing tension in the room I decided I had to get out of there.   
  
I picked up my purse, and started towards the door. "Where are you going?" He asked.  
  
"Out."  
  
"Out where?"  
  
I had no idea where I was going. But I needed some space. "Just, out." I replied.   
  
He got up out of the chair and walked towards me. "Lilith, I think we should talk about this."  
  
"I can't talk to you right now. I'm too mad. This has happened too many times, and it'll keep happening, unless we do something. I need time to think."  
  
"About what?" He asked tentatively.  
  
"Our future." His face dropped even more. I knew it sounded hash. But that was honestly how I felt at that moment. Over the past few months Frasier and I had been growing apart. We both tended to work late, and Frasier spent most of his spare time at Cheers. We must have only spent 9 hours a day together. I know it sounds a lot--but given that 7 of them were spent sleeping--it wasn't.   
  
I gently lifted his face so that I could look into his eyes. "If you believe in us, you'll let me go, and trust me to come back having made the right decision."   
  
He nodded solemnly. "OK… I'll be here. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  
  
It was dark outside, and although the rain was pouring down, I didn't feel like driving. Which was probably best, Sam always said I drove like a maniac, and in rainy conditions who knew what damage I could've done. Anyway, I needed the air.  
  
I must have walked about 10 blocks in the downpour before I finally decided to seek shelter in a nearby bar.  
  
I instinctively turned to my right, to hang up my coat…but there was no coat-stand? And in that split second I realised that I wasn't at Cheers. Ever since I'd met Frasier, Cheers seemed to be the only place I'd been to after work.   
  
So, with my coat still on I proceeded to the unfamiliar bar and ordered a Scotch.  
  
"Actually. Make it a double." I said as I sat down on a stool.   
  
"Rough day, huh?" Said a male voice from behind me.  
  
I turned around to see a tall handsome man with dark hair, wearing a suit not too different to one of Frasiers'.  
  
"You could say that." I answered. As the bartender passed me my drink.  
  
"Man trouble?"  
  
"How… How did you know?" I questioned.  
  
"Lots of things; you look like you've been walking in the rain for quiet a while, you just ordered a double Scotch, I've never seen you in here before, which means you're obviously trying to stay away from someone, and…. I noticed your wedding ring.  
  
"Oh." I said, as I looked down at my ring. I wondered weather Frasier ever really meant to marry me. After all, he only proposed because I gave him an ultimatum. And he realised he couldn't have Rebecca. Did he just settle for me, in case he couldn't find someone better?   
  
"Do you wanna talk about it?" I was shaken out of my haze.  
  
"Not particularly." I answered.  
  
"Oh, come on. Sometimes it's good to talk it out." He persisted.  
  
"I know. I must tell people that about 50 times a day. I'm a psychiatrist…You'd think I'd know what to do?"   
  
"Well sometimes you just need a new perspective." He offered.  
  
I hated to admit it, but he was right. Of course I knew he had other intentions rather than just listening to my problems. But maybe the best perspective would be that of a stranger? "OK, if you really want to listen?"  
  
"Great. I'm Philip, by the way?"  
  
"Lilith." I said, as I extended my arm to shake his hand.  
  
"Lilith? That's a beautiful name." He said, as he took my hand, and kissed it. "Enchanted to meet you Lilith."  
  
He wasn't a standard barfly, I'll give him that. Very charming.   
  
"Maybe we should move somewhere a little more private. Follow me." He said, as he led me to a secluded table in the back of the bar. Of course he was trying to make his intentions obvious, but I told myself I wouldn't let it go that far. I just needed someone to vent to. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  
  
"Can I take your coat?"  
  
"Please do." I answered, as he softly took my soaking wet coat, I realised that I looked like a drowned rat. "Oh, I must look terrible." I said, as I attempted to smooth back the wayward strands of hair from my bun.   
  
"Nonsense, you look beautiful." He said, as he also helped me with my blazer. I couldn't help but notice how much he sounded like Frasier when he said that.  
  
He pulled out my seat for me, and then proceeded to sit down himself.  
  
"Would you mind if I straightened myself out a little?" I asked.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
I undid my top 2 buttons, and took my hair down. As I ran my fingers through my hair Philip's eyes seemed to fixate on me, just like Frasier.  
  
"So, what's the trouble with your husband?" He asked, as he shook out of his admiring gaze.  
  
"Lots of things really." I answered as I traced the rim of my scotch glass with my finger.  
  
"Well, I've got all the time in world." He said, with a comforting smile.  
  
"I don't think that's long enough."  
  
"Let me be the judge of that. Why don't you start with why you came here tonight?"  
  
"Alright. We had a fight. Or more like I got angry with him."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We were out at a bar we usually go to after work. And he made a snide comment about me…..His friends aren't that fond of me, they do that all the time."  
  
"Then why do you go in there?"  
  
"He's my husband. And I can handle his friends. Although it always annoys me that he never seems to defend me, and then tonight…"  
  
"Seems to me he doesn't know what he's got."  
  
"Yes. Well…." I said as I lowered my head in embarrassment.  
  
"I mean it Lilith." He said, as he lifted my head to face him. "You're very beautiful. And I know I've only known you a total of….." He looked down at his watch. "13 minutes. But you seem very intelligent, you're a psychiatrist, that's gotta mean something. Any man would be lucky to have you."  
  
"Thank you Philip." I said in a small voice. "I wish Frasier felt that way. He must've done at some point, but for the past couple of months we never seem to see each other. We're either at work, or he's at that stupid bar."  
  
"Well what about the times when you are together?" He asked.  
  
"All we do is bicker. Which can't be good for Frederick."  
  
"Frederick?" He looked confused.  
  
"He's our…. Dog." Philip looked even more confused. I couldn't tell him that Frasier and I had a son together. The only reason he was listening to me was because he thought he had a chance with me. Of course he didn't. But it felt good to talk to someone, so I didn't want to scare him away.  
  
"Oh, well, how….?"  
  
"Umm, the vet said that negative feelings at home could make him depressed."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes, he doesn't eat, he won't go out for walks, it's terrible." Phew. I think I got away with that one. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: (A little later.)  
  
As I sat talking to Philip, I suddenly heard a soft melody begin to fill the room. Someone had obviously started the jukebox.   
  
"You don't bring me flowers.  
You don't sing me love songs."  
  
"You hardly talk to me anymore.  
When I come through the door at the end of the day."  
  
How appropriate. I thought.   
  
"I remember when.  
You couldn't wait to love me.   
You used to hate to leave me.  
Now after lovin' me late at night."  
  
"Would you like to dance?" Said Philip.   
  
"Why not."   
  
Philip took my hand and we came together where we stood. This was only a regular bar, after all, so there wasn't any dance floor. He held my right hand, and put his other arm around my waist. I placed my spare hand on his arm, and rested my head against his shoulder, as I listened to the lyrics. Philip, of course, had just heard a slow tune, and used it as his chance to get close to me. It was nice, but I wasn't thinking about him. All could do was listen, and realise just how appropriate to me and Frasier the lyrics were.  
  
……"And you don't bring me flowers, anymore."  
  
"You used to be so natural." "Used to be."  
"Talk about forever." "mmm mmm mmmm"  
But used-to-be's don't count anymore.  
They just lay on the floor, 'til we sweep them away."  
  
"An' baby I remember.  
All the things you taught me."  
  
"I learned how to laugh.  
And I learned how to cry."  
  
"Well I learned how to love.  
And I learned how to lie."  
  
"So you'd think I could learn how to tell you goodbye."  
"So you'd think I could learn how to tell you goodbye."  
  
"You don't bring me flowers, anymore."  
  
"Well you'd think I could learn, how to tell you goodbye!"  
  
"You don't say you need me."  
  
"You don't sing me love songs."  
  
"You don't bring me flowers. Anymore."  
  
  
As the song ended I felt my eye's start to well up with tears, but I managed to hold them back. When I lifted my head from Philip's shoulders, he looked into my eyes, and said.  
  
"You really are beautiful. You know that?"   
  
"Thank you." I said, as I noticed that he his eye's were almost as blue as Frasier's. And with that thought in my head, before I knew what I was doing, I felt his lips against mine.  
  
I pulled away as soon as I realised that this wasn't the way Frasier normally kissed me. Then I realised what I had done. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  
  
"I'm sorry." I said, looking down at my feet.  
  
"That's quite alright." He answered with a grin on his face, as he moved to kiss me again.   
  
"No you don't understand. I'm sorry for leading you on. I don't want this."  
  
"But… Lilith. You kissed me?"  
  
"I know, I know. But at the risk of offending you, it only made me realise how much I really do love Frasier. We may be going through a rough patch at the moment, but his good points outweigh the bad. We're the same person. I really am sorry."   
  
"Oh." Philip hung his head. "Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed. But I understand."  
  
"I really should go home now."  
  
"Of course. It's still raining out. Would you like me to drive you home? As a friend, of course."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"It's the least I can do."  
  
"Alright, thank you. But I think you'd better drop me off at the corner of my street. I can't make a very good start at reconciling with Frasier if he sees me pull up in a car with a strange man."  
  
"That might be a good idea." He said as he helped me with my coat.  
  
I kissed Philip lightly on the cheek. "Thank you again, for being so understanding." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:  
  
As I pushed the open the front door, I noticed that the living room light wasn't on. Either Frasier was out, or he had gone to bed. I had no idea what time it was.   
  
I flicked the switch by the door to turn on the light, and was greeted by the magnificent sight of a room full of red roses.   
  
"'You don't bring me flowers'." I whispered to myself.   
  
Still in shock, I felt a warm pair of arms around my waist. This made me tingle as Philip's arms didn't.   
  
"I'm sorry." Came Frasier's smooth deep voice in my ear.   
I turned around without breaking his embrace, and put my purse on the dresser next to us. "I'm sorry too. I should never have yelled at you like that."  
  
"You had every right to. Lilith I'm so sorry. You always hide your feelings, and I didn't realise just how much I'd hurt you."  
  
"Frasier, let's not think about it anymore."  
  
"You're right. We sent Frederick away so that we could spend the weekend alone. And it's still Friday night, what do you say we start our evening over?"  
  
"That would be wonderful." I said, as he lifted me into his arms and kissed me the way that he used to. 


End file.
